Friday, 29 Mar 2024

Republican ‘big lie’ supporters triumph in sign of Trump’s enduring power

Republican ‘big lie’ supporters triumph in sign of Trump’s enduring power


Republican ‘big lie’ supporters triumph in sign of Trump’s enduring power

Republican candidates who questioned, denied and challenged the results of the 2020 presidential election won a string of consequential primaries in Pennsylvania and North Carolina this week, a testament to the enduring power of Donald Trump's voter fraud myth, which continues to animate the hard-right movement he started.

In a campaign season dominated by angst over the economy and frustration with leadership in Washington, several hard-right candidates successfully channeled conservative grassroots momentum, and are now in striking distance of positions that will have enormous influence over voting and elections administration in battleground states across the country.

Democrats, meanwhile, who face a grim electoral outlook dampened by Joe Biden's dismal approval ratings, chose to elevate candidates who more closely reflected the party's base, with progressives on the verge of growing their ranks in Congress.

Though not yet complete, the results from Tuesday's highly anticipated election night delivered a composite portrait of a Republican party still in Trump's thrall, even in races where his chosen candidate came up short.

In Pennsylvania, Republicans nominated Doug Mastriano, a hard-right election denier who was a key figure in the efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in his state. He attended and helped organize Trump's "Save America" rally in Washington on January 6 that preceded the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol, and has been subpoenaed by the House panel investigating the assault.

Mastriano's victory sets up a high-stakes showdown with Josh Shapiro, the state's Democratic attorney general. Should Mastriano prevail in November, he would be in charge of one of the most contested states in the country - one in which the governor appoints the secretary of state, who in turn oversees the election.

During his campaign, Mastriano embraced elements of Christian nationalism, staking out controversial positions on issues such as abortion, LGBTQ rights and public health mandates. In one debate, he suggested he would oppose any exceptions to an abortion ban, including in cases involving rape or incest. Shapiro has cast himself as a defender of abortion rights, an issue that is expected to play a key role in governor's races this fall should the supreme court strike down Roe v Wade, as is anticipated.

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